Coconut Juice-Braised Sticky Chicken Thighs

February 28, 2021 by Mandy

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Ingredients

• 3-4 Bone-In Chicken Thighs
• ¹/₂ Tsp of Salt
• 2 Cups of Fresh Coconut Juice
• 2 Tbsp of Coconut Sugar
• 2 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

Aromatic Mixture (blend it all together with 1 tbsp of olive oil):

• 1 Stalk of Lemongrass (1st layer removed, cut into smaller pieces)
• 1 Bulb of Shallot (skin removed, cut into half)
• 10 Cloves of Garlic

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Directions

1. Season the chicken thighs on both sides with ¹/₂ tsp of salt. Heat up a wok or medium sized pan on medium high heat and add the chicken thighs skin side down to brown.
2. While the chicken is cooking, using a food processor or blender, pulse the aromatics (1 stalk of lemongrass, 1 bulb of shallot, 10 cloves of garlic) together until it’s minced. It should be pretty quick, doesn’t have to be a smooth paste.
3. Once the chicken skin is nicely browned, flip it to cook on the other side for a few minutes and set aside.
4. Turn the heat down to medium and add the aromatic blend to the pan and let it saute for a couple of minutes until it becomes fragrant.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and stir fry it to incorporate the aromatics. Add 2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce, and 1 tbsp of coconut sugar. Let it brown for a couple of minutes.
6. Once the sauce mixture has boiled off a bit, add 2 cups of coconut juice and the remaining 1 tbsp of coconut sugar. Turn the heat up to medium high to bring to a boil and back to medium once it comes to a rolling boil. Let simmer and braise for about 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender.
7. Take the chicken out of the pan and strain the sauce to take the aromatics out. Return the sauce to the pan to continue boiling. Add a lil bit of more coconut sugar to taste if you’d like. Once the sauce thickens, spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with rice.